Sunday, April 6, 2014


Disney’s Tangled – Disney on Broadway – First Look
posted on March 27th, 2014 by James Roselle


 

Now you and your family will soon be able to experience the world of Rapunzel on the live stage! Based on the hit animated film, Tangled tells the story of Rapunzel and her magical adventure to discover the truth about why she is locked away in a tower and isolated from the rest of civilization.

All Rapunzel ever dreamed about was to climb down from her tower and see the floating lanterns at the festival in person. But her captor, Mother Gothel, quickly puts an end to those wishes by forbidding her to go outside. With her chameleon friend, Pascal, and the dreamy Flynn Rider, Rapunzel sets out to fulfill her dream and discovers the true meaning of friendship, family, and love.

The Broadway musical boasts some of the biggest names in the industry: Amanda Seyfried plays Rapunzel herself, Zachary Levi reprises his role as Flynn Rider, and Bernadette Peters plays Mother Gothel. You will be blown away by the performances and dazzled by the sets in this full-length stage performance!

Composer Alan Menken and lyricist Glenn Slater return to Rapunzel’s world to tell the story through song. In addition to some brand new numbers created specifically for the stage, the show contains all of the songs you love from the movie, including, “I See The Light,” “When Will My Life Begin,” and “I Have a Dream.”

The musical is set to open next month and is suitable for all ages to enjoy. You’ll be singing and dancing along in your seat to this new musical!



Rapunzel With A Twist

“Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!”

I have always been a fan of the classic fairy tale, Rapunzel. Even though the original Grimm Brothers story is plagued by theft, deceit, and violence, I still find the idea appealing: being locked away in a tower away from people with someone still willing to sweep you off your feet? That sounds like living in a dream. Sure, you may get bored waiting around for that special someone to come along, but at least you can embrace your introverted tendencies without being judged for it. I know I wouldn’t mind that kind of life!

When I found out that Disney was creating its own film interpretation of the story, I was beyond excited! Seeing how Disney deals with new female leads is always an interesting conversation starter, and their interpretations are never as grim as the original stories. The last princess movie to come out of the studio was The Princess and the Frog, and the movie and the songs were not as memorable as the classics that came before it.

With Tangled, Disney manages to capture the whimsical nature and naiveté of a classic princess story with the wonder of an adventure film. Rapunzel is not a docile or submissive girl: she is curious about the world around her and has a dream to get out of her tower and explore. She is hopeful and reminds me of myself when I was younger. When Flynn Rider attempts to hide in her tower, she ties him up, threatens him, and even strikes a deal with this man who is probably twice her age. These are mature moves for a teenager that has been cut off from society and knows nothing about the outside world!

However, there are still elements of evil that is expected of Disney movies in Mother Gothel and the Stabbington brothers. The twist on the classic story is that Rapunzel’s hair has magical healing properties that are activated when she sings. This gets her into trouble along her journey, but of course, *SPOILER ALERT* good triumphs over evil in the end.

Disney still manages to keep up with the times in terms of the romance story; Tangled is not a “love at first sight” story like so many of the princess films before it, but of course it has a happy ending for the couple. Rapunzel is like a child with wide-eyes looking to learn more about the outside world. Flynn Rider is tall, dark, and handsome; he has a bit of a bad side, but he has a soft heart once he opens up. Their friendship is unconventional, their love unexpected. There also seems to be a significant age gap between these two, but it’s true love, people! Anything goes!

When I found out that the film was being turned into a Broadway show, I was ecstatic! Having grown up performing in the theater, I could envision so many creative possibilities that could be translated to the stage, like the floating lantern scene on the lake, for example. The world of Rapunzel is so vast and colorful that the set would have to be just as elaborate! The cast of the film was diverse enough for a large ensemble, and there are plenty of areas in the story that could be expanded upon to create a full-fledged musical. I could definitely see more singing opportunities for Flynn, and even for some of the minor characters, like Rapunzel’s parents and the Stabbington brothers.

Even though I live four hours away from New York City, I can’t wait until the show comes to the stage so I can see it!